Detergent composition



United States Patent DETERGENT COMPOSITION No Drawing. Application March 6, 1952, Serial N0. 275,226

12 Claims. (Cl. 252-152) This invention relates to foaming, washing, laundering and cleansing compositions containing synergistic agents.

It is the object of my invention to greatly improve or enhance the foaming efiiciency and stability, the detergency, the cleansing power, the laundering properties, and the dish-washing utility of a class of interface modifiers commonly known as wetting agents and detergents, such as of the class consisting of the water-soluble salts of alkyl sulfonic acids, alkyl aryl sulfonic acids, alkyl sulfuric acids, sulfuric acid esters of polyhydric alcohols incompletely esterified with fatty acids of high molecular weight.

Another object of myinvention is to improve the deleterious effect which the usual dishwashing and laundering detergents produce on human skin, such as irritation and drying.

A further object of my invention is to improve shampoo compositions so as to make them far less drying and impart emollient effects on both skin and hair.

According to my invention, the synergistic agents which I employ are outstanding in their effectiveness to produce all the aforesaid results. The synergistic compounds are higher fatty acid amides of monisopropanolamine. Especially effective are the compounds having eight to eighteen carbon atoms in the acyl radical. These compounds have very slight water-solubility and are of little or no value when used alone as a detergent, wetting, and shampooing material, but when admixed with a larger quantity of the detergents of the class named above, they enhance all the aforementioned properties to such a degree that they function as active and very effective synergistic agents.

The synergistic agents which I employ may be illustrated by the following formula:

wherein R-CO is an acyl radical of a fatty acid having 8 to 18 carbons. Illustrative examples of the product that come within the scope of the above general formula are: capryl isopropanolamide, lauroyl isopropanolamide, myristoyl isopropanolamide, the coconut fatty acid amide of isopropanolamine, and the palm kernel fatty acid amide of isopropanolamine.

In addition to the interface modifiers generally mentioned above, my invention is applicable to the improvement of detergents coming within the class above mentioned, the advantages of the invention being the improve ment of the cleansing power of the sulfates and sulfonates, the improvement of their foaming stability in hard water, and improvement of their emolliency.

Outstanding detergent compounds with which the above synergistic compounds may be used with advantage are the water-soluble salts of the higher molecular weight alkyl sulfuric acids which have distinct and pronounced detergent power, making the product suitable for use in cleansing and laundering operations. Thus, the invention is particularly applicable to the improvement of the already known detergents in which the principal active constituent is a water-soluble salt of lauryl or oleyl sulfuric acid, for example triethanolammonium alkyl sulfate from the mixed higher alcohols obtainable by reducing coconut oil, or the sodium alkyl sulfate derived from the higher alcohols of sperm oil, but the invention does not afford a means of making a practical detergent out of a compound initially lacking detergent properties, such as sodium butyl sulfate, triisopropyl naphthalene sulfonate, Turkey red oil, or dioctyl ester of sodium sulfo succinate.

In addition to the alkyl sulfate detergents specifically mentioned above, water-soluble salts of other alkyl sulfuric acids having decided detergent value and having eight to eighteen carbon atoms in the alkyl radical are improved by the addition of the synergistic compounds herein covered and especially are these synergistic compounds useful in improving the detergent power of the salts of those alkyl sulfuric acids derived from a mixture of higher alcohols obtained from oils of the coconut oil group such as coconut oil, palm kernel oil, etc.

Besides the alkyl sulfate detergents referred to above, other compounds having a sulfuric acid ester group and possessing value as washing and detergent agents in aqueous solution are improved by the addition of the products of the present invention. For example, highly beneficial results will be noted when the synergistic compounds are employed with compounds such as the water-soluble salts of the sulfuric acid esters of higher fatty acid monoglycerides (sodium salt of the coconut oil fatty acid ester of 1,2 dihydroxy propane 3 sulfuric acid ester) and of the sulfated higher fatty acid alkylolamides (the sodium salt of sulfated coconut oil fatty acid ethanolamide).

The improving agents of this invention may also be employed with compounds having a true sulfonate group, these compounds possessing a substantial power to wash and cleanse in aqueous solution in the absence of an enhancing agent. For example, beneficial results will be noted when the synergistic compounds are employed with water-soluble salts of higher fatty acid esters of 1,2 dihydroxy propane 3 sulfonic acid, the sodium salt of the coconut oil fatty acid ester being an excellent example of this type of detergent. Beneficial results will be noted also when the synergistic compounds are employed with such detergents as the water-soluble salts of the higher fatty acid mono-esters of lower molecular weight hydroxy alkyl sulfonic acids (oleic acid ester of the sodium salt of isethionic acid) and of the higher fatty acid amides of low molecular amino alkyl sulfonic acids (ammonium salt of oleic acid amide of N-methyl taurine). Likewise the synergistic compounds may be employed with watersoluble salts of the higher alcohol esters of sulfocarboxylic acids (sodium salt of the lauryl alcohol ester of sulfoacetic acid), higher alkylated benzene sulfonic acids (potassium salt of the sulfonic acid derived from the condensation product of benzene and a chlorinated kerosene fraction containing predominantly twelve carbon atoms per molecule), and ethers of high molecular alcohols and lower hydroxy sulfonic acids (monolauryl ether of 1,2 dihydroxy propane 3 sodium sulfonate).

The above examples are merely specific illustrations of the numerous detergents which can be rendered more eflicient in cleansing and laundering operations when used in conjunction with products in accordance with my invention and I do not wish to be limited thereto.

In the practice of my invention, the synergist usage will vary depending on the specific combination of ingredients but in general the quantity of synergist will be less than the quantity of active detergent ingredient. I prefer to employ from about 5 per cent to about 25 per cent of synergist based on the active detergent, but marked improvement can be obtained with smaller proportions and larger proportions, for example, proportions within the range of about 1 per cent to about 40 per cent.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following examples, but these examples are merely illustrative of the manner in which my invention may be practiced and are not to be construed as limitations. All parts are by weight.

Example 1 *Example 2 To 90 parts of commercial sodium lauryl sulfate in a paste form containing 30% active detergent were added 10 parts of the coconut fatty acid amide of isopropanolamine as synergistic agent. The mixture was heated to 70 to 80 C. and mixed until homogeneous. The ratio of the synergist to the sodium lauryl sulfate is 1:2.7. A foam stability test made in hard water showed excellent foam stability to the mixture and very poor foam stability when the sodium lauryl sulfate was tested without the addition of the synergist. Detergency efhciency of the mixture was highly satisfactory as compared with the use of the detergent alone.

When used as a hair shampoo the above sodium lauryl sulfate-coconut fatty acid isopropanol amide mixture gave the hair an excellent sheen, softness and manageability not had when the sodium lauryl sulfate was used alone as a comparison.

Example 3 90 parts of a detergent containing 40% active ingredient designated as coconut oil fatty acid ester of sodium isethionate and 10 parts of myristic acid amide of isopropanolamide as the synergistic compound were mixed together. The above mixture had superior washing power compared with the commercial coconut oil fatty acid ester of sodium isethionate.

''Example 4 A superior liquid shampoo was prepared when 70 parts of the triethanolamine salt of lauryl sulfate (50% active) was mixed with 15 parts of the coconut amide used in Example 4 and 15% ethyl alcohol (isopropyl alcohol may be substituted for the ethyl alcohol).

Example 6 A superior cleansing agent was prepared by mixing 95 parts neutral sodium salt of lauryl'alcohol ester of sulfoacetic acid and parts of capric fatty acid amide of isopropanolamine. The ratio of synergist to detergent is 1:19.

Example 7 A highly eflicient cleansing agent was prepared by mixing 60 parts of the detergent shown in Example 6 with 40 parts coconut fatty acid amide of isopropanolamine.

Example 8 97 parts of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate was mixed with 2 parts of lauric and myristic fatty acid amide of isopropanolamine. The mixture had superior cleansing power as compared with the straight sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate.

Detergents such as those of the above specific examples, that is, commercial detergents in admixture with my synergistic agent, when employed in 0.2% concentration in hard water, a normal concentration used in laundering, will wash much whiter than any concentration of the commercial detergent without added synergistic agent. in general a solution containing any given concentration of a cleansing compound prepared in accordance with my invention will wash as white as, or whiter than, a solution containing a much larger concentration of detergent without added synergistic agent.

My invention is not limited to any particular method of mixing the synergistic agents with the sulfate or sulfonate detergents. They may be incorporated in the detergent in any of the forms in which the detergents are manufactured. The synergistic agents may be mechanically mixed in; it may be crutched into the detergent in the form of a slurr and it may be dissolved in a solution of the detergent. While such ready-for-use mixtures may be manufactured and may be preferable for many purposes, it is likewise within the scope of my invention to add the synergistic agents to water prior to the adding of the detergent or vice versa, or to add both synergistic agents and detergent simultaneously but separately to the water. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I claim:

1. A cleansing and laundering composition consisting of a mixture of a detergent selected from the group consisting of water-soluble salts of organic sulfonic acids and water-soluble salts of aliphatic sulfuric acid esters, the said detergent having pronounced detergent power, and an amide of the formula RC O-NHCHQCHOH wherein RC0 is an acyl radical of fatty acid having 8 to 18 carbon atoms, and the amount by weight of the amide being about one per cent to about forty per cent by weight of the said detergent and sufficient to enhance the detergent power thereof.

2. A cleansing and laundering composition of claim 1, in which the acyl radical of the amide is derived from a mixture of fatty acids consisting predominantly of lauric and myristic acids.

3. A cleansing and laundering composition of claim 1, in which the acyl radical of the amide is derived from a mixture of fatty acids obtained from coconut oil.

4. A cleansing and laundering composition of claim 1, in which the acyl radical of the amide is derived from lauric acid.

5. A cleansing and laundering composition of claim 1, in which the acyl radical of the amide is derived from myristic acid.

6. A cleansing and laundering composition of claim 1, in which the amount by weight of amide employed is from about one per cent to about forty per cent of the amount by weight of the detergent ingredient.

7. A cleansing and laundering composition consisting of a mixture of alkyl benzene sodium sulfonate having at least 11 carbon atoms and about one per cent to about forty per cent by weight of the coconut oil fatty acid amide of monoisopropanolamine.

8. A cleansing and laundering composition consisting of a mixture of sodium lauryl sulfate and about one per cent to about forty per cent by weight of the coconut oil fatty acid amide of monoisopropanolamine.

9. A cleansing and laundering composition consisting of a mixture of a water-soluble salt of an alkyl sulfuric acid having 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical and about one per cent to about forty per cent by weight of a fatty acid (8 to 18 carbon atoms) amide of monoisopropanolamine.

10. A cleansing and laundering composition consisting of a mixture of a water-soluble alkylolamine salt of an alkyl sulfuric acid having 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical and about one per cent to about forty per cent by Weight of coconut oil fatty acid amide of monoisopropanolamine.

11. A detergent composition consisting of a sodium alkyl benzene sulfonate detergent and a minor amount of lauric monoisopropanolarnide, suflicient to enhance the foam stability of said detergent in aqueous solution.

12. A detergent composition containing a sodium alkyl benzene sulfonate detergent as its sole anionic detergent component and consisting essentially of said sodium alkyl benzene sulfonate detergent and a minor amount of lauric monoisopropanolamide, sufficient to enhance the foam stability of said detergent in aqueous solution.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A CLEANSING AND LAUNDERING COMPOSITION CONSISTING OF A MIXTURE OF A DETERGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER-SOLUBLE SALTS OF ORGANIC SULFONIC ACIDS AND WATER-SOLUBLE SALTS OF ALIPHATIC SULFURIC ACID ESTERS, THE SAID DETERGENT HAVING PRONOUNCED DETERGENT POWER, AND AN AMIDE OF THE FORMULA 